District NEWS

December 6, 2016

BH-BL’s School Delay and Closing Procedures reminder

New procedures help district make more accurate school
closing decisions

Now that the winter weather has arrived, we’d like to remind
parents and students of BH-BL’s school delay and closing
procedures.

When determining whether to delay or close school, the
decision-making process begins at 4:30 a.m. and includes
assessing weather conditions and forecasts and communicating
with our four towns to find out if the roads (main and back)
will be cleared and safe for travel. Remember, travel conditions
can vary widely across our 50-square-mile district.
Additionally, we work with BH-BL Buildings & Grounds staff to
determine if school parking lots and driveways can be cleared
for buses and cars.

While it is very important to us to open school every day,
our first priority, of course, is student safety. There are
times when it is too unpredictable to make a full closing
decision in the early morning hours. Road conditions can change
rapidly as temperatures change and plows clear and salt or sand
roadways. In these situations the district may institute a
2-hour delay immediately, but indicate that a further decision
on closing school will be made by 7 a.m.

By 5:30 a.m. we will let residents know if school is

running on a 2-hour delay (final);

running on a 2-hour delay (decision on closing by 7
a.m.); or

school is closed.

Below are the variety of different ways BH-BL notifies
residents of delays and closures.

It is best to rely on more than one source of information
when it comes to weather-related announcements. This is
particularly true in situations that involve power outages,
which can affect the district's ability to send electronic
notifications.

Additionally, if school is delayed the Glenville Y-Care
morning program also has a delayed start and will not open until
8:30 a.m. BH-BL students who are transported to school on buses
from a different school district (using shared transportation)
should follow that school’s delay/closing decision.

You are encouraged to visit our
Emergency Closings & Delays webpage to learn more. If you
still have questions after reviewing the webpage, please contact
the Superintendent’s Office at 399-9141, ext. 85002.